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Dastardly ducknapper!!

(41 Posts)
Zephrine Tue 31-Dec-13 08:40:48

Saw on my FB page yesterday that a pet rabbit and two guinea pigs had been stolen from their garden cage, also in Devon, there really are some ... (bites tongue) not very nice people out there!

NfkDumpling Tue 31-Dec-13 08:37:12

I suppose there's a couple of options here. Either make a fuss, report it to the police, tell every mother at the school gates, or tell the local rag about these lovely people who took your ducks in and found them a new home - albeit half way across the country.
Or just ignore it and whenever anything goes missing in the locale say to ask the So And Sos, as they're light fingered.

Riverwalk Tue 31-Dec-13 08:29:56

The neighbour should be ashamed for lying and also the person who took them to Cambridge and wouldn't even meet half way.

But may I ask a stupid question - how can you tell if a duck is a pet? confused

Lona Tue 31-Dec-13 08:22:15

Maybe local (to both areas) newspapers would be glad of the story, and they could name and shame the wicked people!

Some people seem to have no conscience these days.

MiceElf Tue 31-Dec-13 08:20:49

This is a clear case of theft by finding, and it seems to me that the police should be informed. As the sentimental value was high that is an aggravating factor which makes it more serious.

Riverwalk Tue 31-Dec-13 08:15:20

Ducking cheek! shock

Iam64 Tue 31-Dec-13 08:08:26

What a story granyactivist, thank goodness for the honesty of small boys. Duckdastardly indeed.

Kiora Tue 31-Dec-13 07:31:00

The neighbours sound as if they knew who the ducks belonged to so isn't that theft? What type of lesson is that for the neighbours little boy to witness. Words fail me. I'm glad there was a happy silver lining. I hope you enjoyed your cuddles with baby

Ariadne Tue 31-Dec-13 06:22:00

angry Stupid people!

rockgran Tue 31-Dec-13 06:15:01

I'm usually peace loving but some people just need a good smack. angry

glassortwo Tue 31-Dec-13 05:29:22

I thought they had been lunch shock disgraceful, hope they arrived home no worse for their long trip.

Tegan Tue 31-Dec-13 01:39:23

Oh I really thought they were going to be eaten. Why would anyone want to kidnap a duck? I want to go and slap these people...

Gally Tue 31-Dec-13 01:33:31

I suppose it was lucky they hadn't eaten them shock. I can't understand anyone doing that; the ducks obviously belonged to someone and lived locally, so why on earth would you put them in a car and take them to Cambridge?! Reportable offence methinks.

Granny23 Tue 31-Dec-13 01:26:22

GA That is absolutely Duck Dasterdly behaviour. I can usually find some mitigating circumstance to explain or excuse such behaviour but that is just badness. Bet they were the worse of drink at the time. shock

grannyactivist Tue 31-Dec-13 01:12:33

(Looking for the silver lining in the cloud smile ) is obviously what I should have said - only I somehow managed to post the message whilst in the middle of editing it. confused
Well, look at the time, I'm far too tired to be grammatically correct!

grannyactivist Tue 31-Dec-13 01:08:30

It's not often that I experience intense anger towards people, but I certainly did today! Long story, so maybe you'd like to grab a cuppa (or something stronger) and settle down to my tale.
My (almost four year old) grandson has raised two pet ducks who live in his garden in Devon and have a rather splendid duck house to which they retire every evening in order to prevent foxes from enjoying them for dinner. The garden (once part of a farm) is large and secure and is bordered by a rather posh modern housing estate. On Christmas day my daughter and her family went out to lunch and returned in the evening to find that the ducks had gone missing - the stormy weather had caused a small 'escape hole' to appear and the ducks had apparently wandered off. Not too alarmed, as they are usually ready to 'roost' at the same time each evening my daughter and her husband searched the nearby estate calling for them; hoping that the 'girls' as they are affectionately known would find their way home (as they did on a previous occasion). Sadly this time the girls didn't reappear and the whole family were distraught and since then have contacted anyone and everyone who might have news, but to no avail.
Today in a last ditch effort to find their pets they systematically began knocking on nearby doors and asking the householders if they had seen the ducks. A close neighbour answered the query with a definite 'No' only to be contradicted by her little boy who had heard the question; he reminded her that they had seen the ducks and as she tried to say again that she hadn't seen or heard the ducks he became insistent (in the sort of puzzled way of small children when they hear a blatant lie think that mummy must have forgotten confused ) that they had seen the ducks - it was obvious that he was contradicting what his mother was saying and that she was trying to silence him when the woman's husband came to the door and admitted reluctantly that his sister, who was visiting for Christmas, had found the ducks wandering and so had taken them home with her - wait for it........to Cambridge!!!! And what's more if they wanted their pets back they'd have to go and get them!
So that's what they've done. This afternoon they drove from Devon to a village in Cambridge to get their son's beloved pets back, at a cost of £80 in fuel and a ten hour return journey! The woman in question was blatantly unashamed that she had effectively stolen someone's family pets and had made no effort to trace their owner or even report them found. (That they were pets, rather than wild ducks was never in question.)
So, I feel quite incensed that
a) she took my grandson's pets in the first place b) when asked if she would drive part way to meet my daughter and return them she refused, and c) that she was quite unrepentant.
The only nice outcome is that I was due to look after my two little grandsons for a few days from this evening, whilst my daughter and her husband have a few days break, and instead I got to have the little one (ten months) for the whole afternoon today as well whilst his parents chased off to Cambridge and big brother was attending his first pantomime. (Looking for the silver cloud smile )